CELEBRATING EXEMPLARY SERVICE AND SUPPORT IN OUR SCARBOROUGH COMMUNITY

TORONTO, ON, Saturday, September 11, 2021: Today at your Toronto Zoo, the Scarborough community came together to celebrate some exceptional individuals, the recipients of 2021’s inaugural year of the Scarborough Hero Awards. Winners were celebrated by Mayor John Tory, Randell Adjei, Poet Laureate of Ontario, leaders of the Scarborough Anchor Institutions, MPPs, and City Councillors for Scarborough.

The Everyday Hero, is an individual who has contributed towards the betterment of their community. These can be simple acts; of kindness, courage and compassion. These are the acts of everyday heroes who have gone above and beyond to serve and support their community during the COVID-19 pandemic. These heroes set an example for us all and inspire us to support Scarborough as a whole.

During the pandemic there were numerous stories being shared about individuals, community groups and businesses stepping up to help others in need during this public health crisis. To shine a light on these exemplary community members, the leaders of Centennial College, Scarborough Health Network (SHN), Toronto Zoo and University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) launched the Scarborough Hero Awards in February. This new awards initiative aimed to recognize those who have gone above and beyond to serve the local community in very substantive and impactful ways. More than 250 nominations were submitted by colleagues, family members and friends. Leaders of the Anchor Institutions compiled a shortlist, and winners were selected by a jury of Scarborough City Councillors and community organizations. 

In celebration of the award winners, a community art installation created by students from Centennial College’s School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design was unveiled at the event. The installation will serve as a tribute to the heroes and honour the vibrancy and resilience of the Scarborough community. The installation will be open to the public, and hosted by each of the Anchor Institutions over the following months.

“The Scarborough Hero Awards is a great way to thank and recognize all of the incredible people in our city who have helped us get through this pandemic,” said Mayor John Tory, City of Toronto. “Scarborough is filled with people who care for one another and who want to support each other – these awards are our way to celebrate those moments and those people who have become local heroes. I want to congratulate all of the winners for their tireless work and commitment to helping Scarborough and our entire city,” he added.

“This is such a special occasion and we are here to recognize such an inspiring group of everyday heroes,” says Randell Adjei, Poet Laureate of Ontario. “It is the remarkable people we are celebrating today that have inspired their community, throughout this challenging pandemic, making Scarborough the incredible place it is to live and work in,” he added.

“On behalf of the staff and volunteers at your Toronto Zoo, we are honoured to be hosting today’s celebration and are proud to be part of this community initiative to honour our many everyday heroes who have gone above and beyond to make Scarborough a better place during these challenging times,” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo

The Scarborough Hero Award recipients each received gift cards provided by the Scarborough Town Centre. In addition, they have been granted a special honour from the Toronto Zoo. Each of the winners have a Blanding’s turtle, a threatened Canadian species, named in their honour to recognize the award they received. Each year, Toronto Zoo and Parks Canada collaborate in a Blanding’s Head Start Conservation Program, where Blanding’s turtles are raised at the Zoo for two years, before being released into the wild in Rouge National Urban Park.

These are the winners of the Scarborough Hero Awards 2021:

• Seema David – Community Action and Service Hero Award
• Theresa Pastore – Education Hero Award
• Lucas Denov – Environmental Hero Award
• KGO Grassroots Leaders – Good Neighbour Hero Award
• TAIBU Community Health Centre – Outstanding Organization Hero Award
• Emily Power – Outstanding Youth Leader Hero Award
• Dr. Hilda Lim (with loving dedication to Emily Lim) – Health Hero Award
• Dr. Reena Lovinsky – Health Hero Award
• Dr. Abdel Belhaj – Health Hero Award
• Dru Ann Skeates – Health Hero Award
• Katrina Studeny – Health Hero Award
• Dr. Lisa Salamon – Health Hero Award
  
  
  For more information about the awards and the contributions each Scarborough Hero Award winner has made to their community, please visit www.ScarbTOhero.com.

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About Centennial College
Centennial College is Ontario’s first public college, established in 1966, primarily serving the eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area through five campuses. It has a record of exemplary teaching, innovative programming and extensive partnership building. Centennial offers more than 300 diploma, certificate and degree programs on a full- and part-time basis in business, media, arts, community and consumer services, engineering technology, health care and transportation. The college enrolls more than 26,000 full-time students and 19,000 part-time learners annually. 

About Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive. An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.2 million guests each year. Toronto Zoo is accredited by Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

About Scarborough Health Network
Across our three hospitals and eight satellite sites, Scarborough Health Network (SHN) is shaping the future of care. Our many programs and services are designed around the needs of one of Canada’s most vibrant and diverse communities. We are home to Ontario’s largest nephrology program, as well as the designated cardiac care centre for Scarborough and surrounding communities to the east. We are proud to be a community-affiliated teaching site for the University of Toronto and partner with a number of other universities and colleges, helping to train the next generation of health care professionals. Learn more at shn.ca.

About University of Toronto Scarborough
The University of Toronto Scarborough is a place of energy, enthusiasm and passion. Our commitment to inclusive excellence attracts the brightest learners, scholars and employees from around the globe. Our success has been made possible by the opportunity given to us by our Indigenous hosts to operate on their territory, and we cherish our continuing partnerships with these communities.

Media Contact Information:

Katie Gray
Manager, Strategic Communications
Toronto Zoo
[email protected]

Claire Hastings
Strategic Lead, Communications & Public Affairs
Scarborough Health Network
[email protected] 416-836-4640

For general information visit torontozoo.com

The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive.

An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.2 million guests each year.

Toronto Zoo is accredited by Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave, Toronto ON, M1B 5K7

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